Barely Past
by Lillyington
Summary: Alex is sent on a mission which drags too close to her past. Far too close. When she comes face to face with her worst fears, will anybody be able to save her from her demons? Rated T just in case and for adult themes. Please read and review. Story better than summary.
1. Chapter 1

**POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR SEASON 1 AND SEASON 2**

_**Brief background to the story: Percy is in his glass box, Amanda has taken over Division, Alex is working with Division but not for Division, Michael, Nikita, Alex and Birkoff are working together and Sean is on the outskirts of working with them.**_

_**Author's note: I have recently started studdying Russian, so please excuse any mistakes in Russian pieces in this chapter, and future chapters. Reviews will be much appreciated :)  
**_

1/ Alex

The mission made me feel uneasy. It was too close to the reality of my past life and that frightened me. Despite the nature of it, it was an easy one. I was to pose as an exotic dancer in a club. The target was a man named Pablo Mierevich and he was the owner. My job was simple. Pablo enjoyed watching his girls working at the weekends, and would take centre seat in the VIP viewing area. I just had to find my way into his eye-line and lure him into one of the private rooms. There I was to kill him. Sounds easy enough and I had no doubt in my mind that I could do the simple task, but I was scared that the temptation of alcohol and drugs would rouse terrible memories that I had worked hard to burry.

"You'll be okay Alex," Sean's cool and calm voice broke into my worries. I blinked and turned my head to face him. His hands were clutching the steering wheel tightly and his gaze glued firmly on the road. He was driving me to the club where my mission would take place. I swallowed nervously and nodded in agreement.

"I'll be outside in the car and on the other end of your earpiece. If anything happens which you're not comfortable with or if things go belly-up, you say my name and I'll come and get you," he said quietly, not taking his eyes off the road. "Your, ah, uniform is in the back," he went on, glancing quickly at me. I read in his eyes and his tone that he was not best pleased about my outfit. I could pretty much guess what it consisted of. My suspicions were confirmed when I unclipped my seat belt and slid into the back of the car.

"Just like old times," I murmured unhappily as I held up the bright red bikini top. The bottoms matched in colour, but were clearly made with less material.

"Are you okay?" Sean asked, catching my eye in the rear-view mirror. I nodded and flashed him a smile.

"Sure. Could you..." before I finished my sentence, he flicked a button on the side of the steering wheel and a panel of pure black glass slid up between us, cutting me off from the front of the car.

It took me longer to shed my business dress and sensible heels than it did to fix my skimpy hookers outfit into place. I stared down at myself, a vivid flashback of when I used to work in similar outfits blurring my vision. I fastened the much too short tartan skirt into place and attempted to pull it down to cover more of my body, but the garment was designed to show more flesh than it was to hide. The last parts of my outfit were the high heeled shoes and arm band. The stilettos were made of cheap clear plastic and a shiny red heel which was almost the length of my forearm. The platform was at least two inches and matched the red of my underwear. I slid them on and buckled the simple clear strap before wriggling the flat red armband into place around my upper arm. I was unsure what this was for, but it matched the colour of the rest of the 'clothes' so I presumed it had a purpose. Then I tapped the glass and it retracted into the back of the seats as I scrambled as dignified as I could back into the passenger's seat. Sean glanced sideways at me and then did a double take, his eyes practically falling out of his head. I felt a little self-conscious under his stare and I was momentarily grateful for my small breasts and trim waist. I gently tugged my hair free of its professional bun and let the natural waves tumble freely over my shoulders. I shot Sean a nervous smile and then turned to look out of the window. We must have pulled off the highway while I was changing because we were on a quieter road heading into the city.

"I am not happy about this one bit..." Sean said after a long awkward silence.

"You said yourself that it was going to be fine," I teased.

"Alex, that was before you assumed character! You look dangerously perfect for this job..." he mumbled, taking one hand off the wheel to run it through his hair. He shook his head uncomfortably, a frown knitted into his brow and genuine concern showing in his eyes.

"Then it shouldn't take me too long to get this over with," I breathed. Sean gave a humourless laugh and shrugged out of his jacket. He handed it to me and I slid my arms into it, pulling it closed around my body and basking in the brief, warm feel of safety.

"We're almost there," he said, nodding his head towards the GPS which was now flashing at our proximity to the club. He coughed to clear his throat and then the man sat beside me was the strategic Sean I had first met in Division. "That little band around your arm is just large enough to conceal your weapon. It is also the trademark band of a _'Minx' _dancer and all of Mierevich's dancers will be wearing one. This is what will get you in and allow you to pass for a new recruit," he said quietly.

"How will this conceal my gun?" I asked, fingering the flimsy material which encircled my arm.

"It won't" Sean said.

I didn't understand, but before I could ask, the GPS told us that we had reached our destination. The woman's robotic voice told Sean to make a left, and we turned down a side alley. Even from within the car I could hear the loud unmistakable sound of dance music blasting from the club. Sean followed the sign for 'Employee Parking' and pulled into a small overgrown parking lot. There were several cars already taking up the few spaces, and Sean parked furthest from the club's entrance. He cut the engine and turned his body to face me. He fished in his pocket for the earpieces and handed one to me before fixing his into his ear. I did the same with my own and checked in the small car mirror that it was concealed well enough while Sean got out of the car and came around to my side. Before I could get myself out, he threw open my door and grabbed my arm. His grip was a little tight.

"This," he said, holding up a small vial in front of my face, "is your weapon."

"So no gun?" I asked, my heart sinking.

"No gun," Sean confirmed at a whisper, helping me out of the car. His grip loosened on my arm, and I stumbled in the heels which were larger than I was used to. He reached out to steady me, and his hands lingered on my shoulders. Our eyes met and I felt a warm sensation run through my body and rise to my cheeks. Very slowly, Sean slipped his fingers under the collar of his jacket draped around me and pushed it off my shoulders. He continued to slide it down my arms and eventually, with our eyes still locked, it dropped to the floor, leaving me in fewer clothes than I was comfortable with. Sean ran his hands slowly back up my arms and my bare skin tingled beneath his touch. Taking a step closer he touched the band around my arm and pulled it gently away. Without breaking eye contact he slid the small vial and my lenses into a tiny pocket I hadn't noticed before and then let the elastic snap back against my skin. The sheathed needle now lay flat against my arm beneath the band, tucked neatly away and out of sight. When Sean finally stepped away from me and his touch evaporated, my hand went to where his had been. Laying my palm flat over the red material, I could just about feel the vial under there.

"When you're alone, get about this close," Sean said, demonstrating by stepping closer once again, "and take out the needle. Then pierce him _here _if possible," he went on, placing two fingertips lightly on my throat, just below the hollow of my ear. I fought the urge to close my eyes under his gentle touch. "This will paralyse him the fastest, a quick burst into his blood stream. If his throat isn't easily accessible, go for the upper arm, or upper thigh. Avoid the stomach," he finished. I nodded nervously and Sean smiled at me while he fiddled with his iPhone. There was a short high pitched beeping sound in my ear which signalled the connection between our earpieces had been established.

"Testing, can you hear me, over?" he grinned playfully.

"Affirmative. Ready for action. Over and out," I couldn't help but match his smile.

"Right, get in there, get Mierevich alone, inject the poison and get the hell out of there. Confirm as soon as and I'll be on my guard at all times. Remember, as soon as you need me…" his words hung in the air with the lack of a finishing sentence. I knew he had my back, and I hoped I wouldn't need him to save my ass. With that said, Sean bent to pick up his jacket and folded it neatly before placing it on my seat. He then stalked around the front of the car and folded himself inside. The sound of his door slamming shut was my signal to move and so I stepped unsteadily towards the employee entrance to the club. There was a flashing neon sign above the steel door which read _'Minx_' in large bright letters. Classy, I thought sarcastically.

"There's a code box," I whispered to myself as I approached the door, aiming the statement at Sean.

"59687," his reply came after just a moment's hesitation and I punched in the numbers as he read them.

"You guys take care of everything, huh," I grinned as the reassuring click granted me entrance.

"People like Mierevich should keep their security safer," Sean said and I could hear the smile in his voice.

Once I was inside my stomach did an uncomfortable flip and loud club music filled my ear. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to hear Sean over the noise. The door I had just come through led into a corridor which went both ways. I was unsure of my next move and thankful of Sean's voice in my ear.

"I have the floor plan. Go left; it leads to the prep room."

I did as I was told and tottered left down the tiled hallway. The music playing out in the club seemed to be playing from speakers in the corridor too. I found the prep room and pushed open the saloon-style doors, entering a room which was much like a cloak room and bathroom combined.

"Put your eyes in," Sean said and I slid out the velvet pouch he had stored in the band pocket. I took out the contact cams and carefully slipped them onto my eyes after checking there was no one around. I blinked to clear my vision.

"And we have eyes on the ground," Sean laughed gently in my ear. I couldn't help but smile, "Now get out there and get dancing," he said, less happily. My smile dropped from my lips and I turned to leave. Suddenly, two skinny dancers burst through the swinging doors, laughing loudly and stumbling slightly. They spotted me standing awkwardly and their laughter subsided.

"I didn't know a new girl was starting today, did you Ginger?" the first girl said to the other. She had long platinum blonde hair and contrasting dark skin with a smile which spelled trouble. Her eyes were heavily made up with thick black eyeliner and a row of small plastic diamonds glued above her eyebrows. Her lips were painted with silver lipstick. Her bikini matched the colour.

"I was hired yesterday," I replied, keeping my voice civil. I wasn't here to make friends and these girls were wasting my time. I didn't want to be here any longer than I had to be.

"Here that, Ginger, Pab's found a new play thing already," sniggered the blonde, "you don't last as the favourite long round here," she hissed at me.

"Shut up Silver," snapped the other girl. This girl had a bob of shocking ginger hair and matching orange lipstick. My guess was that this place was colour coordinated. Ginger also had the plastic gems stuck to her face, just beneath her eyes, and these matched the colour of her lips and underwear.

"Way it works around here looks like you already been told, is that head girls have the colours, and the others wear black. You work your way up to head dancer round here, so you must be a favourite already. You a transfer, Red, traitor from another club?" asked Silver, genuine interest laced with her threatening protectiveness.

"Something like that," I hissed back, my tone matching hers.

"You can dance with us then, see what you made of girl," Ginger cut in, stepping towards me and taking a strand of my hair between her orange finger nails.

"You need to get a move on, you can't wait for these girls," Sean whispered in my ear.

"I have strict orders to move straight to Pab's box," I smiled sweetly at Silver as she seemed to be the top dog around here. I wondered where Gold was…

"We're on our break, head down and turn right. There's stairs and you go up. First door you come to be head VIP box," Ginger said coldly letting go of my hair and strutting towards one of the bags hanging from a peg. She fished out a box of cigarettes and beckoned for Silver to join her. The silver bikini clad dancer stepped around me and followed her co-worker outside. Once they were gone, I rushed out of the doors and followed their directions.

I pushed the heavy door open and I was met with loud music and flashing lights. The room was small but a flood of commotion, with girls dancing on podiums and around poles. The walls were draped with curtains which gave the space an almost cosy feel. Men were seated at tables and at the bar, and dolled up waitresses in short uniforms strutted between tables taking orders and distributing drinks. It wasn't hard to spot Mierevich who sat on a tall golden throne like chair on a raised platform. Two men in black suits and dark shades stood either side of him. The typical security attire.

"Are you seeing this, the scumbag is actually on a throne," I spat, fixing my eyes on my target so Sean would also be able to see.

"I would have expected nothing less," his amused voice sounded in my ear, "Now you need to get up on that private podium where he can see you. From the floor plan I'm looking at, it looks as if the platforms are connected to one another so you can start on one end and make your way to the other," he continued and I heard the tapping of a keyboard from his end of the line.

"Got it," I breathed in comprehension.

"His body guards will literally shadow his every move. Once you get him alone, I'll create a diversion for them. Then you'll have as much time as I can give you. Make it quick, Alex," his words concealed a hidden meaning, but I shook the thought from my head and made my first step into the club.

I realised Sean was right when I clambered onto the first podium. There was a narrow catwalk which connected each dancing platform, allowing the girls to swap places and move between the small clusters of men stood and sat watching. The first platform was a circular dance floor with no pole or chair and I managed to step quickly past it while two other bikini clad dancers took the stage. The second was empty of girls, so I soon became the centre of attention for that podium. Four or five men gathered to watch the way I moved around the pole and one even hooked a hundred dollar bill into my skirt as I moved.

"These men are not short of cash," I whispered while I was facing away, my hair concealing as much of my face as I could manage.

"They're pigs," hissed Sean angrily, "move on."

I stepped carefully across the catwalk towards the head stage. Two girls were already positioned around the pole, but as I approached, one broke away and took my place on the single podium. The girl left behind was tall and slim and had short curly dyed pink hair. She flashed me a dazzling smile and spun elaborately up the pole, her legs higher than her head. I stood amazed for a long moment as I watched her take both hands away, and clung on by her knees which knotted around the pole. She met Mierevich's eyes, winked, took hold of her anchor above her head and slowly straddled her legs downwards so she was back on her feet. I realised I was stood staring and took hold of the pole and moved my body slightly. If that's what it took to be a head dancer, I wasn't cut out for the job. Shortly after Pink's fancy move, she sauntered away from the podium and I was left alone to twist and move around the pole. I gritted my teeth and moved my body with the rhythm of the music, hating how it felt to be watched so intently by Mierevich and his men. I was surprised how much I could remember from being forced to dance for money, and at how flexible my body still was.

"Red!" called Mierevich from his seat. My eyes snapped towards him and he was beckoning me with his hand.

"That didn't take long. Get moving," Sean breathed in my ear as I moved towards the stand.

Mierevich put his hand up as I approached, signalling for me to stop in my tracks. I was about two paces away from the chair and I could see that on each finger of the hand he held his drink in was a thick gold ring. One of them, I noticed, stretched across three of his fingers and I hated to think of the damage it could do when connected with flesh. I shook the thought from my mind and cocked my hip to one side in an attempt at sexy.

"You I do not recognise," he slurred, a thick Russian accent weighing on his words.

"I am new here," I called over the much too loud music.

"Did I hire you?" he asked, a frown furrowing his brow.

"Net, ya nanyatykh vashe malʹchikov," I replied, my birth language rolling off my tongue with ease. I flashed Mierevich a winning smile and stole a look at his body guards. There was no hint of understanding in their faces. Or at least from what I could see of their faces. I had just told Mierevich that his bodyguards had hired me to dance for him.

"Good call," Sean whispered in my ear.

"Vy govorite Rossii?" he replied, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

"Yes I speak Russian," I smiled, stepping closer.

"Turn around," he indicated for me to do so with his finger. I did as I was told. He then crooked his finger in a 'come hither' gesture and I stepped between his legs. As soon as I was within reaching distance he slid his hands around my waist and pulled me into his lap. "Dance," he commanded, leaning back and settling his eyes on my breasts. I squirmed mentally and began to move like I had been trained to all those years ago against my will. I moved my body the way I knew men liked to see. It didn't take long for Mierevich to push me aside and get to his feet. He took my hand and leaned in close.

"YA khochu vzyatʹ tebya v komnate," he whispered in my ear, telling me and Sean that he wanted to take me to a private room. He then drew away and said in English, "I want to see you _really_ move," and then began to lead me away from his throne and down the stairs towards a door on the other side of the room. I glanced over my shoulder to see that his two body guards were following in a swift and elegant fashion. One of them was muttering into a walkie-talkie and the other was scanning the room for potential threats. How ironic, I thought to myself as I allowed Mierevich to lead me through the door and into another bare corridor. This time, when the door closed behind us, there was silence.

"Follow me," he instructed as he pulled me towards another hallway. This one had several coloured doors leading off it and I didn't want to think about what was going on behind each one. Mierevich strode past them until he reached the end of the hallway and came to a large blood-red door. I swallowed nervously at the ominous colour and stood close by as Mierevich unlocked it and then stood aside for me to enter.

"Your hawks are being called to another carcass, work fast, I don't know how much time I can buy," Sean hissed in my ear and I heard some low voices in the corridor outside the room.

"There's a security breech on the north entrance." One voice muttered.

"We're on the case, sir." The other said.

I took this opportunity to glance quickly around me. The walls were a deep red colour to match the door and my outfit and I couldn't help but wonder what happened to the last Red that the club owned. There was a long comfortable looking loveseat stretched across one wall and a round glass coffee table in the centre of the small room. There were no windows.

I heard two sets of footsteps leading away from us and then Mierevich stepped inside and shut the door. I forced a smile onto my lips and watched as he removed his jacket. I spotted the silver gleam of a gun tucked into his belt and held my breath as he removed it and set it on the table. I then moved to wrap my arms around his shoulders. He backed me up to the sofa and flipped us around so he was sat and I was straddling his lap. I felt his arms go tightly around my waist and he attempted to crush his lips on mine, but I moved my head away and he found my cheek instead. This didn't seem to bother him and he trailed forceful kisses down my jaw to my neck. I felt sick to the stomach and my heart beat fast beneath my ribs. While he was busy trying to find his way into my bra, I moved my hands to the arm band and wriggled my fingers inside. I grasped the safe plastic case of the needle and pulled it out, ready to strike, when his head snapped up and his arm darted out. He grabbed my wrist roughly and for one long agonising moment we both stared at it, willing the other to make the next move. I couldn't take it any longer and tried to jab him in the throat with my free arm, but he used my weight against me and I punched the back of the couch instead. There was a scrabble and then the needle was knocked clean out of my hand. It went skidding across the floor and hit the far wall. Mierevich made a frustrated sound and grasped me by the hips, shoving me onto the tiles. I scrambled onto my hands and knees and attempted to crawl to where the needle had landed, but Mierevich was quick and on his feet. His boot connected with my stomach and I rolled onto my side, coughing and winded. The air was knocked out of my lungs and for a second I thought I was going to die. While I was fighting for my breath, I watched as Mierevich walked calmly to the wall and crushed the tiny vial of poison under his foot.

"Who do you work for?!" he yelled, striding towards me and grabbing a fistful of my hair. By this time I had won my breath back and my strength returned. I swung my fist at his stomach and he went stumbling backwards. I got to my feet and lunged at him, but this time he was prepared, and in my stupid heels I managed to barely miss being hit. He came at me then and used a powerful kick to knock me backwards. I staggered, but gained my balance and dealt several swift blows to his head and face, drawing blood from his nose.

"What's going on?" Sean was shouting desperately in my ear, but I didn't have an opportunity to answer. Just as I thought I was going to deal the winning blow, he ducked down and swiped my legs from under me with his own. I tripped backwards and went sprawling towards the floor. Only, there was something there to break my fall, and I went crashing through the glass table.

Everything hurt. Glass pierced my body and I screamed in pain as my head connected with the floor, with a sickening crack. I gasped loudly and fought to keep a hold on the world as it threatened to vanish from beneath my feet. Then I noticed the gun which had dropped to the floor in the fall. I rolled onto my stomach and dragged myself to my knees as fast as I could, scrambling for a hold on the weapon with my bloody hands. I grasped the handle and flicked the safety off, preparing to fire.

"I have his gun!" I yelled to Sean, not bothering to conceal the fact I wasn't working alone. Mierevich, who had also lost his balance when taking my legs from underneath me, was now slowly rising to his feet with his hands above his head in surrender.

"Are you hurt?" Sean asked, panic clear in his voice.

"I have his gun, Sean!" I cried, exasperated at his priorities.

"Kill the target," he 0rdered, and I could here he was running towards the building.

"There's no silencer!" I exclaimed, checking the barrel of the gun quickly to confirm my statement.

"Just do it!" he yelled.

But before I could pull the trigger, the door slammed open behind me and somebody hit me hard in the back of the head.

Then everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

2/ Sean

I'd heard the fight over the earpiece and I knew that Alex and the mission were in danger. Her contact lenses had lost signal as soon as she'd entered the room, so I was blind to who was winning. I was about to throw open the door and rush to her help when my action was stolen from me. The car door was almost ripped off its hinges and I turned ready to fight off the enemy.

"Nikita?" I frowned, staring at the slender woman stood in front of me. She smiled impatiently at me before grabbing the front of my jacket and hoisting me forwards so that our faces were just centimetres apart. She did not look happy.

"Where's Alex?" she demanded.

"She's in trouble, I have to help her," I snapped, pushing Nikita away from me. She stumbled slightly backwards and two hands grabbed her shoulders to steady her. I followed the hands with my eyes until I came to a familiar face. Michael. I'd never met him in person, but he was a Division legend. I should have known that he would be wherever Nikita was.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, momentarily distracted from the rescue mission at hand.

"We followed you. I knew from the start that this mission would end in disaster. You put Alex in the line of fire with so much as a needle as her protection! Do you even know anything about Alex and what she's been through?" Nikita snarled at me.

"She wanted to be part of this mission!" I struck back. She glared at me and I glared back. We were not each other biggest fans.

"We heard over the line that she's in trouble," Michael cut in, his voice calm and full of reason. Nikita dropped her gaze at the sound of his words and seemed to relax a little.

"Do you have an extraction or clean up team nearby?" she asked.

"No. This is an undercover Division mission personal to Amanda," I replied. Nikita rolled her eyes and ran both hands through her long straight hair. She sighed heavily as if she was trying hard to bite her tongue.

"We need to get in there," she said, doing her best to hide the undercurrent of annoyance in her tone. She wasn't used to working with people, that much was clear.

"Is her tracker still live?" Michael asked forever the collected.

"Yes," I replied, ducking my head inside the car to check the small monitor of my laptop. Just as I did, the red dot that was Alex flashed twice and disappeared. I watched as it returned and then began blinking. A large warning window opened on the screen. "Until now. It's still live but we've lost signal," I murmured.

"She's underground," Michael whispered, "did they know she wasn't working alone?"

"I think they presumed…" I replied with a shrug of my shoulders.

"We need to move, now," Nikita said.

I reached inside the car and closed the small laptop which I stuffed under the driver's seat and my jacket which I shook my arms into. I then sealed off the monitors which blinked on the dashboard so that if anybody peered into the window they would just see a regular car. I also flicked a switch under the steering wheel and a fake second licence plate closed over the real one to conceal it at both ends of the car. After that I shut the door and made sure it was locked before swinging around to the boot and collecting my gun. Just as I slammed and locked it shut, two suited up security guys rounded the corner of the building on a routine sweep. Nikita grabbed me and dragged me behind the car just in time and their flashlights avoided highlighting us.

"All clear in the parking lot," I heard one of them say into a talkie as their footsteps faded away.

"Do you know how to get into their underground?" Michael asked me as we straightened from our crouched position.

"I have a rough idea," I mumbled, slotting the gun into the inside pocket of my jacket and led the way towards the building.

"I can't believe you let her go in there without a real weapon," Nikita mumbled under her breath, but I chose to ignore her to avoid further argument. I didn't care about how she thought about me; I just cared about getting Alex out of there alive.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Authors note**_:** I am aware some of this chapter's events may be the same/similar to those events of the episode Alexandra and this is because I was inspired to write this fic from this episode of series one combined with several from series two. I hope you enjoy, please read and review.**

3/ Alex

Everything on my body hurt. I had a headache the size of America and every bone in my body ached. When I opened my eyes I was lying on a cold floor in a dark room and all I could see was a sliver of light let in by a door left ajar. Just as I dragged myself into a sitting position, I heard footsteps and then the door swung open all the way, flooding the room with light. Mierevich strolled into the room and crouched down beside me. He had his shirt sleeves pushed to his elbows and the top several buttons undone on his shirt. God knows what he had been doing with another stripper while I'd been unconscious.

"Nice to see you with your eyes open, zverenysh," he whispered in a patronising tone, using the term for young one or child.

"Idi k chertu," I hissed, telling him to go to hell. He laughed loudly, dropping his head back, and then stood up straight, pacing the room backwards and forwards.

"Who do you work for?" he asked finally. That's when I lunged at him, knocking him backwards and kicking him hard in the stomach. For a second, fear flashed in his dark black eyes, and I knocked him down, pummelling my fists into his face. I hit him over and over again until several more men stormed into the room shouting and grabbed me from his body. I was torn away from his bleeding form and marched straight out of this cell-like room. I stared up at the damp ceiling and knew I was underground. They dragged me kicking into another room which was set out much like an office with bookshelves and an office chair and desk. There was a large cage in the middle of the room, designed to hold maybe one large dog, and the men threw me inside. I landed on my hands and knees and whipped around to face them, just in time to see them locking the cage door and throwing the key onto the desk before leaving. The room was lit only by candles in holders hanging from the wall, reminding me of a 'ye olde' dungeon.

"Hey! Let me out of here!" I yelled at the top of my voice, panic beginning to spread through my system as I banged on the metal bars. The cage was lined with a thin blanket and I began to wonder if they planned on keeping me here, maybe torturing me for information on those I work for. Percy's evil face flashed across my eyes and I had to force his sickly image away from my thoughts. I didn't work for him anymore. I didn't work for anybody but myself. But if it came to it, I would have no problem landing him in the shit.

"When they told me that there was a feisty dancer in the cage I thought they were getting me a birthday surprise! But they really did mean a feisty girl, no?" a wicked and sickeningly familiar Russian voice echoed around the room and my head snapped up to meet the eyes of a man who I had hoped never to see again. Vlad stood in the doorway, a sly and cruel smirk plastered to his face. I felt sheer terror and dread when I saw the man I had feared for so many years. I almost thanked Division and Nikita for their training as I was able to keep these emotions from my expression as I stared back at him from within the cage.

"Vlad," I spat his name out like it tasted bad, and in truth, it almost did. I hated everything about this man for making me do what he made me do. He had taken away my innocence and replaced it with a lust for drugs and alcohol. He had forced me into the sex slave industry, and kept me from running away by keeping me high enough to need him. He had been all I had for so long that I learned to depend completely on him and I lost myself.

"So we have met?" he asked.

"What are you doing here?" I spat back, forcing the tears away from my eyes.

"I own this underbelly," Vlad laughed, spreading his arms wide and looking from side to side, "this here basement belongs to me, and every girl in here, belongs also to me," he grinned, touching a closed fist twice to his chest, "which means you belong to me."

"YA nikogda prinadlezhat vy snova," I hissed, telling him in his own language so he would fully understand that my days of belonging to anybody were over, especially to him.

"So I have owned you before, no?" he questioned, cocking his head to one side, "however, I never lose a girl, in particular one as pretty as you. And yet I recognise your face," he said slowly, clearly thinking carefully as to where and how he knew me. Then something in his brain clicked into place and his eyes were burning into mine.

"Sascha?" he cried, clapping his hands together. He stormed forwards and banged on top of the cage with both hands in excitement. A tear trickled down my cheek as all the suppressed memories of my time as Sascha flooded into my mind.

"And yet you were the only girl to ever get out. And you've returned. You tried to kill my boy, Pablo, but my question is why?" he asked, crouching down beside the cage so he could look me directly in the eye.

"To get to you," I lied. My mind was screaming so many questions that I had to lean back against the cage bars. Had Sean known about Vlad? Had he sent me here on purpose? What was the connection?

"How did you escape me all those years ago? I haven't seen you in six years, I thought you were dead," Vlad asked, seeming unbothered by the news I was out to get him.

"With help. It wasn't easy. You had me hooked so deep on your shit that I needed somebody to drag me out of it," I snarled. I could feel the tears staining my face and smudging my eyeliner, but I couldn't stop. My body was shaking through fear and shock and I felt humiliated at being in the cage for animals. I supposed that was the purpose.

"You got clean, that is a shame," Vlad smirked, standing up and pacing to the desk, "I preferred you dirty," he chuckled sadistically and I shuddered. He rummaged in one of the drawers and then came back to his crouching position. I couldn't see what was in his hand until he held it up in front of the bars, and my heart pounded dangerously in my chest. He held up the long needle and I knew instantly what it was. This was the drug which had kept me prisoner for all those years. I gasped and couldn't help the whimper that escaped my lips as I scrambled as far away from the syringe as I could.

"Get that away from me," I hissed, pulling my knees to my chest.

"Who do you work for?" Vlad yelled at me.

"I work alone," I cried.

"If you won't tell me, I'll have to force it out of you," he said, and he slid his arm through one of the gaps in the bars to grab at me. I ducked to one side, but the cage was not large enough to move in and he caught my hair. He then pulled very hard and my head hit the bars roughly. Everything went so fast after that and he had pulled my arm through the bars. I tried to fight but I was too weak and he had stabbed the needle into my vein before I could stop him. I screamed as he pushed the liquid into my bloodstream and then the needle was gone, replaced with a dull aching in my arm.

"No," I breathed, but it was already happening. The warmth started in the pinprick wound and spread up to my shoulders and throughout the rest of my body. It was as if someone was filling me with the sunlight, and I felt content. My head began to swim pleasantly and my vision blurred. I fell limp against the bars of the cage as I swam through the feeling of ecstasy. I even remember smiling and busting into a fit of giggles before I was swept away with a warm orange tide.

The sea of pleasure didn't last long and my hit soon ran out. The waves crashed onto the shore of withdrawal, breaking violently, and suddenly I was too hot. My blood was burning, heating my skin from the inside. Beads of sweat broke out at my hairline and down my back and despite my miniscule clothing, I was boiling. My eyes snapped open and I felt unwanted tears spilling from my impossibly wide eyes. The contact cams had dissolved the moment I had been hit in the face the first time so there was nothing stopping the watery film from covering my eyes. I knew I looked a state, covered in blood, tears and sweat. My body was shaking and my mouth dry and everything hurt in a way I can't describe.

"I'm burning," I murmured, feeling weak from the poison rushing through my veins. I shot a look at Vlad and he seemed to be smiling, enjoying the show before his piggy eyes.

"Now let's have a chat, shall we? How did you get away? Who sent you here, Sascha?" he asked calmly. I gasped and had to curl up on the floor to prevent myself from swaying. The room was rocking and I felt dizzy and sick. Memories from my withdrawal process with Nikita reminded me of how bad it can get.

"You don't know what you're dealing with," I whispered, an unbelievable pain shooting through my stomach. I felt the need to throw up, but my stomach was empty and I needed the little strength I had.

"Tell me what I want and I'll give you what you want," Vlad hissed, holding up a fresh needle. I whined like a puppy in need of feeding and lunged forwards, pressing my body as close to the bars as I could get to stick my hand out and reach for the thing I needed. Vlad held it just out of my reach and laughed loudly.

"I'm working alone, but the government is on my side, Vlad. You won't last five minutes when they get here," I gasped, extending my fingers as far as I could in an attempt to reach the drugs.

"We're getting closer," he grinned, but stood and turned away from me. He threw the needle back into the drawer and I almost sobbed when he slammed it shut. I could feel a second bout of drug infused sleep, and sure enough, I felt my eyelids become painfully heavy. And then I was in the darkness again.

This time when I came round I was almost screaming in pain. I gritted my teeth together and forced myself to sit up. My hair was sticking to my face and my ears were drumming like a bad case of a hangover. This was so much worse. Vlad was nowhere to be seen and one of the candles had burned down, leaving the room in near enough pitch black. I whimpered quietly and prayed that Sean was on his way.

Suddenly the door burst open and in stumbled a girl in flashing orange. Ginger stared down at me in the cage with wide petrified eyes. Recognition flashed on her face and she made as if she was going to leave.

"Ginger you have to help me," I begged, raising a hand.

"Why are you in the cage?" she breathed as she staggered closer. She was higher than I was.

"I'm in trouble, but my people are coming for me, and if they see you they won't hesitate in killing you. If you help me, then I can keep you alive. The key is on the desk," I breathed. Ginger wasn't sure whether to listen to me, and she kept glancing towards the door as if she wanted to run.

"What kind of trouble are you in?" she asked as she fumbled for the key and bent by the cage door.

"It doesn't matter now, why are you down here?"

"Somebody is dead upstairs. I came to find Pablo," she whispered as she fumbled with the key in the lock. Just as it was about to click free, Vlad slammed the door open and stalked into the room. Luckily Ginger was able to step away from the cage in time and he didn't see her trying to help me. She did, however, drop the key to the floor. I quickly grabbed it and tucked it into my arm band while Vlad's eyes fell on Ginger.

"Ginger you keep an eye on the girl. She mustn't be allowed to leave. There's trouble outside, somebody is inside the building and security is down," he said in a muffled tone, as if I wouldn't be able to hear. Without a second glance he was gone and Ginger was regretting her move with the key.

"Give it back, I won't get into trouble because of you," she snarled, but I was already fumbling with the lock and luckily it snapped open just before Ginger could snatch the key from me. She tried to push me back into the cage, but I still had some strength, and she just fell backwards when I pushed her. There was a strange moment when she tried to fight me, but I grabbed her as tightly as I could by the throat and brought her face close.

"Do not try and stop me from getting out of here," I snarled and she soon backed off.

I didn't see where she went from there, but the next thing I knew I was alone again and on my knees. I tried to stand, using the desk to pull myself up, but I couldn't find the strength. My legs were weak and the world was spinning dangerously. I just about managed to fumble for the gun which was on the desk, and after I managed to get my breath, I stood up a little shakily. For the third time that evening the door burst open and a very nervous looking Vlad tumbled inside. He slammed the door shut behind him, but didn't see that the cage was empty. When he turned around to face me, anger and confusion flashed in his eyes. He threw a punch aimed at my face but I avoided it by grabbing his wrist. I turned quickly so my back was to him and in one swift movement; I elbowed him in the face. He crumpled and landed in a messy heap on the floor, groaning in pain as he clutched his bleeding nose. His eyes moved to the gun in my hand and I saw the realisation hit him.

"My name is Alexandra Udinov and I work for no one. I do, however, use a government black-ops unit called Division to complete my missions and get dirty bastards like you off the streets," I smiled as sweetly as I could manage, aiming the gun directly at Vlad. I could hear shouting and gunfire from outside in the hallways and I knew Sean was coming for me. The haziness in my head cleared just in time for me to see Vlad's eyes widen in disbelief. And then I pulled the trigger. The bullet struck him in the chest and he roared in agony. He coughed once, blood trickling from his mouth. I fired again and again and again until the chamber was empty and Vlad was dead. Even after the last bullet found its way into his body, I kept firing, hearing the barren click of the empty chamber. I then dropped the gun next to his body and stumbled backwards. The world was spinning and I could hear my name being shouted.

It wasn't the first time that night that I dropped to the floor and my mind burst into a thousand colours.


	4. Chapter 4

4/ Sean

We worked effectively as a team, picking off security as we moved through the basement of the building. I caught sight of Mierevich being smuggled out of a medical room and put a bullet in his brain. He hit the floor next to his main henchman and we moved into the room, checking inside for any sign of Alex. Nikita liberated several rooms full of women who were clearly kept there illegally and ordered them to get to safety or she would kill them. I had to admire her bluntness.

When all was quiet, we rounded the final corner and rushed through each room. Just as we were about to enter the final one, there were several gunshots and my heart stammered uneasily. We all had the same dreaded image in our heads as we approached the final door slowly. Michael was first in.

"She's here!" he yelled and Nikita ducked quickly inside. I prayed he meant alive as I followed, and I was momentarily terrified when I saw her almost bare body on the ground. Michael moved aside for me to drop to my knees while Nikita confirmed the other man in the room to be dead. I wasn't surprised with the amount of blood and bullet holes in his body.

"She's alive," I gasped thankfully as I pulled her head into my lap.

"This is Vlad, the man who kept Alex high and forced her to be a sex worker…" Nikita frowned as she rolled the dead man onto his back to examine his face.

"What?" I breathed.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Michael asked as he held his palm to Alex's forehead, "she's burning up, let me check her arm," he said, examining for something. He found what he had been looking for and hung his head slightly.

"He's given her something?" I asked and she moved slightly in my arms.

"The drug she was hooked on," Nikita frowned, crouching down beside us and brushing her hair away from her face. Suddenly her eyes opened wide and she began to writhe on the ground, gasping for air. She was momentarily terrified and then her eyes came to rest on my face and she seemed to relax slightly.

"She's withdrawing," Nikita said and signalled for me to shrug out of my jacket. I did so and we moved to wrap it around her shoulders. She tried to shrug it away but her movements were becoming less desperate and wild. A faint smile scattered her expression and she raised a bloody hand to touch my face.

"You came for me," she whispered through gritted teeth.

"Of course I did. I said I would," I breathed, brushing her hair ferociously out of her eyes.

"We need to get her out of here." Nikita ordered.


	5. Chapter 5

5/ Alex

I felt a slight swaying in my movements and I opened my eyes to find I was being carried in someone's strong arms. The night's events swam around inside my mind and I knew I had to ask somebody something, but right then I just wanted to sleep. I didn't have the energy to look where we were, but I sensed we were still underground. I had something wrapped tightly around my body and it smelt safe.

I drifted in and out of consciousness.

I opened my eyes and screamed as a shooting and agonising pain shot through my body. I was laid across the backseat of a car, my head in someone's lap. I looked up into the worried eyes of Nikita and felt relieved at her presence.

I drifted in and out of awareness.

I was being carried again in the same strong arms. The lights overhead were bright and the floor shiny and clean. I recognised where I was now and I felt suffocated by a sense of dread. From the way my head hung over the man's arms, I could see Operations. I was back in Division. Suddenly I was spinning and then my feet connected with the ground and I was upright. My legs were weak and I had to lean against the safety of the person who had been carrying me. Sean. He had saved me. His protective arm was around my waist, supporting me and pulling me against him. My head lolled against his chest. He was speaking to someone, but I couldn't see them through my blurred vision. Nikita was gone.

"She looks terrible…"

Amanda.

"I'm going to take her to my place so she can get some sleep. We need to talk in the morning," Sean told her.

"Vlad… Vlad was there," I managed to say.

"I know," Amanda said.

"You know?" I repeated. I was shocked, "I killed him," I added forcefully.

"I thought you would want to kill two birds with one stone," Amanda shrugged.

"You should have told me," Sean spat.

"Is it over?" Amanda asked after a long moment.

"It's over," I mumbled, meaning so much more than just the mission.

"Why did you come back here?" Amanda asked.

"I thought you'd want to know how the mission went, seeing as you headed it," Sean said quietly, "I also wanted to ask you for something to ease Alex's withdrawal. I know you practically run a rehab clinic with all the junkies you rescue," he said and there was a sly undercurrent to his tone. I almost smiled. When I stole a look at Amanda she had a forced tight lipped smile on her red lips.

"I'll see what I can do, wait here" she said shortly, and then her heels were clicking against the sanitised floor away from us. Sean led me towards the training mats and helped me sit down. He sat beside me and pulled me close so I was leaning against his body. I leaned my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes. I hated this place.

"I'm so sorry about all this Alex," he whispered after a few moments of comfortable silence.

"None of this is your fault, Sean. I knew what I was getting in for. I just didn't think that Pablo Mierevich's slave industry would have anything to do with the one I was in," I whispered weakly.

"I should have checked it out in more detail, I had the resources to," Sean continued, shaking his head in defeat. I forced myself to sit upright without his support and turned to look at him. I could see the regret and blame in his face and I wanted him to see that I didn't blame him for what happened this night. I touched his arm lightly and he turned to face me then, his eyes hollow and dark. I forced myself to smile and then placed both my hands on his face. He closed his eyes against my touch and sighed deeply as I moved forwards so our foreheads were touching. His hands covered mine as he held me there and for several long moments we just sat this way. A fire was raging inside me, partly due to the drugs Vlad had forced into my body, and partly to do with something else. I was shaking, but I was on fire.

"Sorry to interrupt this cosy little celebration but I have your meds," Amanda's cold voice bit into the silence and we both dropped our hands away from each other. I glared up at her and Sean stumbled guiltily to his feet as I wrapped my arms around my body and pulled my exposed knees to my chest. She handed Sean a small jar and he tucked it into his trousers pocket before helping me to my feet and pulling me gently towards the exit. Halfway there my knees turned to jelly and Sean had to scoop me back into his arms. He carried me out of the training room and away from Division.

We seemed to drive for miles until we reached Sean's place. If I hadn't been so out of it, I would have been excited to see where this very closed off man lived, but instead I just wanted to sleep. As Sean parked the car in an underground parking lot, I watched a familiar car screech to a halt beside us. Nikita and Michael climbed out and Nikita was by my side in an instant.

"How are you feeling?" she asked me, taking my hands in hers. My palms were sweaty, but I didn't have the energy to feel embarrassed, or reply to her question. She didn't seem to mind, and she helped me stagger towards the building. At some point during my mental absence, my ridiculous heels had been removed and I had been left barefoot.

Sean let us into his apartment and led the way to the spare room.

"Have you got a spare shirt she can wear? She can't sleep in these," I heard Nikita ask as I rolled onto the double bed. The room was big for a spare room. The sheets smelt of Sean and this made me feel safe and relaxed. I must have dozed off because I was jerked into consciousness by Nikita shaking me awake. She helped me into one of Sean's shirts. It was pale blue and much too big, and I vaguely remembered him wearing it to work once. She also handed me a cup of steaming milk and I tasted it carefully. It definitely wasn't just milk, and I recognised the taste of something nasty from when I was coming clean last time. A small dose of the drug would keep me happily sedated for a while, I remembered.

"Since you only had a small shot of it, you should feel better in the morning. You may feel flu-like symptoms, but that just means you're flushing out the worst of it. I'll come and see you tomorrow if I can," Nikita whispered to me as she stroked my hair and I sipped my drink. Sean was stood in the doorway with a worried expression on his face as he watched. I didn't know where Michael was.

"Thank you Nikita," I smiled as she helped me under the covers.

"I just wish I could have prevented this," she whispered with a faint smile before she got up and left.

"You're safe now and I'm just down the hallway, Alex," Sean said quietly before switching off the light and closing the door almost all the way. A small sliver of light spilled into the room and I shuddered at the thought, turning over to face the wall I pulled my knees up. I could hear Sean speaking in a hushed voice to Nikita and Michael in the apartment somewhere, but already I could feel a dull fogginess in my brain. With a heavy sigh I sunk into sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

6/ Alex

Everywhere was dark. I could barely see three centimetres in front of my face it was that dark. The ground was thick as I waded and I suspected it was mud. It smelled terrible, of death and rot and fear, my own fear. I felt so alone and so disorientated and so afraid of what was around me. Thick, never ending silence surrounded me broken only by the sound of my ragged breathing. I wanted to shout out and cry, scream for help, scream at the top of my lungs. But I was fully aware that nobody was around to hear me. Sean, who's safe arms had been carrying me just hours before were gone, and Nikita's familiar and comforting presence was gone from my side. I was totally and utterly alone, and I was so cold. Goosebumps covered my skin like insects at a carcass and I shivered uncontrollably as I waded forwards, further into the unknown. Suddenly a bright light from nowhere shone all around me, causing me to go blind for a moment. I raised my hands to shelter my eyes, and then the light began to dim until it was just a wide circle around where I stood, knee deep in thick, dirty red gunk. That's when I noticed a figure just ahead of me, standing on what appeared to be a large flat rock sticking out of the mess. Nikita's dainty frame was perched at the edge and she was beckoning for me to come closer. I knew I had to get there to be safe, to climb onto the clean surface where I was out of harm's way. But the faster I tried to move, the thicker the mud-like grunge became, and the more it clung to my body. I started to panic as Nikita became harder to reach, and the more suffocated I began to feel. Then, to my horror, the surface began to slither and move and I screamed out as I was surrounded by a sea of snakes. They hissed and spat and closed around my body, glaring with angry red eyes at me. I pulled each creature away as they encircled my arms and snapped at me with fury. That's when Vlad stepped up behind Nikita on the rock. She was so focused on shouting my name that she didn't notice him until it was too late. I tried to scream for her to watch out, but the knife was drawn and her neck was slit wide open before the words could leave my mouth. The scream froze in my throat and I was sucked further into the mass of writhing animals. Vlad laughed wickedly at me and with one foot, rolled Nikita's bleeding body off the rock and into the deadly pit. I couldn't see her, and I couldn't reach her, but my unbearable feeling of loss was suffocating me, squeezing my chest, shaking my body with such force…

And then I really was screaming, and thrashing about. Everything was once again dark and silent, and Vlad was gone. I snapped into awareness like a bolt of lightning and large hands were all over me, trying to shake me awake. I stopped tossing for long enough to see Sean's terrifyingly wide eyes staring down at me, and I scrambled into a sitting position. I looked around me at the unfamiliar bedroom trying to concentrate and remember where I was. The light cast a comfortable orange glow around the room and illuminated Sean's tired but worried face. I was covered in a layer of cold sweat and still shaking from my impossibly vivid nightmare.

"You were screaming," Sean said quietly, taking a seat on the bed and moving to wrap the duvet around my shoulders. I noticed that he was only wearing a pair of navy blue sweat pants. His neat, muscular chest was bare.

"Vlad was there," I murmured, running a hand through my hair.

"Don't worry, it was just a dream, you're safe here," he whispered. He was scanning my face for any sign of real trauma, but in all honesty I felt a lot better than I had done several hours ago. With that thought I glanced down at Sean's watch and the numbers flashed 3.46am.

"I'm sorry for waking you up," I grinned sheepishly, bumping my shoulder against his.

"Don't worry about it, I thought someone had broken in here," he smiled back, bumping my shoulder in return. He then breathed a quiet laugh and made to stand up. As if by instinct, I grabbed his hand to stop him from leaving. He turned slowly and looked at our conjoining fingers, his face tensing slightly.

"Don't go…" I whispered bravely, "Please will you stay with me, Sean?" I added, "I don't want to be left alone."

Sean raised his eyes to meet mine and I could see a bright flame burning within. I knew he was torn between doing what he wanted, and what was professionally right. Without another word he flicked off the light and slid under the covers. I lay down and adjusted myself so that the duvet covered both of us, and then I felt him shuffle slightly closer. In the dim light from the hallway I could just about make out the outline of his face, and his deep green eyes assessed my face to check that this distance was okay. I confirmed by touching his cheek and tracing my fingers across his cheek bones. Sean moved his hands up my arms and slowly turned me over so I had my back to his chest. He placed one of his arms around me protectively and rested his head on the pillow. I felt utterly comfortable and safe within his arms as I closed my eyes.

"Goodnight Alex," he whispered against my hair.

"Night Sean," I murmured in response.

This time when sleep came, it was undisturbed by nightmares.


	7. Chapter 7

7/ Alex

When I woke peacefully the next morning, I immediately reached out for a warm body beside me. But I was met only by cool, empty bed. Frowning I moved to sit and stretched my arms out to unclench by knotted muscles. I had a massive headache for not the first time this weekend, and a pain in my stomach like nothing I'd ever felt before. I was starving. I rolled out of the bed and looked at myself in the full length mirror which was hanging on the back of the door. I didn't look my best. My hair was in an unruly state, a mass of knotted curls with dried blood at my hairline. My eye makeup from the night before was stained around my eyes and across my cheeks. I looked down at Sean's shirt which I had slept in and it only reached to just above my knees. I was wearing more clothes than I had been the previous night. The sleeves were longer than my wrists so I pushed them up slightly so I could look down at my hands. There was no visible sign that I had killed a person. Shaking away the image of Vlad's face, I ran my fingers through my hair and stepped out into the corridor.

Sean's apartment was large. He was in the spacious kitchen, sat at the breakfast bar, facing away from me with a bowl of cereal in his hands. I approached him quietly and saw that he was watching a programme on the TV which was mounted on the wall by the window. It was something about cooking. I thought about how ordinary he looked, with his breakfast and morning TV and bed-hair, and I couldn't help but giggle. He turned at the sound of my laughter and a smile spread across his face. Since waking he had shrugged into a pale grey hoodie which suited him.

"Good morning, how are you feeling?" he asked, his eyes trailing to his shirt, which draped around my body.

"A bit awful. Do you mind if I take a shower?" I replied.

"Sure, the bathroom is the door next to your bedroom. Towels and stuff are already in there. Your clothes that you wore to work before you changed for the, er, mission are on the chair in the room," he said. I nodded in thanks and followed his instructions.

The warm powerful jets of water felt good on my aching body. I let the hot clean water soak me, my face tilted up with my eyes closed before I reached for the soap and washed myself clean of the horrific night. I scrubbed my face clean of makeup, glad to get rid of the tearstains. There was only men's shampoo, but it smelled good and of coconut so I used that and then shut the water off.

Once I was back in the spare room I quickly dried and changed into my work clothes before reassessing my reflection. What I saw was a step up from what I had seen earlier. I looked clean and fresh and a little better dressed. Since my hair was still an unruly mess, I secured it into a pony tail with a hair-tie which I always kept around my wrist and then made the bed. When I returned to the kitchen, Sean was stacking his small dishwasher. He straightened up when I entered the room.

"Much better. I did like my shirt on you though, it's a good look," he teased.

"Thanks," I grinned.

"Food?"

"Whatever you got," I laughed and he poured me a bowl of bran flakes which tasted so good. The dull hunger in my stomach didn't go away though.

"Thanks for staying with me last night Sean," I said after I'd finished and he had put my bowl on the side by the sink.

"It's the least I could have done," he shrugged, "you're welcome to stay as long as you need. I think it's best if you stay a few more days while you're getting back into full shape."

"I can't ask you to house me too," I shook my head.

"Please, Alex, I'd feel better if I knew you were safe," he insisted.

"Are you afraid I'll relapse?" I asked, annoyed.

"I know you're stronger than that," he shot back, "but for my own peace of mind."

"One more night?"

"Two."

"One."

"Alex," he sighed, shaking his head.

"I feel much better Sean and I can't take up your place!" I argued.

"Nikita will want you looked after," he said.

"I don't need looking after!" I snapped, immediately regretting my harshness.

Sean stepped closer to me, his eyes burning furiously, and he grabbed me by the shoulders.

"Alex please let me make sure you're okay," he demanded, and I noticed how desperately he wanted to prove that he could look after me.

"Sean…" I whispered, "You can't blame yourself for what happened to me last night!"

"You said you were worried, but I still…"

I silenced him by placing my lips over his.


	8. Chapter 8

**AUTHORS NOTE**

Thank you so much to all those who read and reviewed. Alex/Sean is my favourite Nikita ship and I'm so happy I could please some people with my writing. I'm thinking about writing a follow up Alex/Sean fic with romance/love/lust story if you think it's a good idea. Please let me know if I should or not!

Thanks again everyone.

xoxo


	9. Sequel Note

Hi everyone! Thanks for the amazing reviews and readership!

Just to let the followers of this story know if you aren't aware that the sequel is up and I would love for you to share Alex and Sean's journey with me

Much love

x

Thankyou to crazyshipperfangirl for being a continuous reviewer of both my stories ;)

xoxo


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